Global research trends in stem cells for osteoarthritis: a bibliometric and visualized study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with increasing global prevalence.
• Stem cell therapy is emerging as a promising treatment modality for OA.
• Understanding the research landscape is crucial for advancing OA stem cell therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the global research status and trends in stem cells for osteoarthritis (OA) from 1994 to 2017.
• To identify key contributors, publications, and research clusters in this field.
• To predict future research directions in OA stem cell research.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of 1933 publications from the Science Citation Index-Expanded (Web of Science).
• Utilized VOSviewer software for bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence analysis.
• Examined publication trends and research output from 1994 to 2017.

Main Results:

• Global publications and research interest in stem cells for OA showed a consistent annual increase.
• The United States led in research contributions, citations, and H-index.
• Osteoarthritis and Cartilage journal published the most articles; Tokyo Medical and Dental University, University of Pittsburgh, and Shanghai Jiaotong University were top institutions.
• Research clustered into mechanism studies, animal studies, clinical trials, and tissue engineering, with clinical studies predicted as the next popular area.

Conclusions:

• Stem cell research for OA is projected to continue its upward trend.
• The USA is the leading contributor to OA stem cell research.
• Clinical studies, especially those involving mesenchymal stem cells for OA, are anticipated to be the next significant area of focus.